Caterpillar vendor Barloworld Zambia has introduced the profitable supply of a Cat 995 wheel loader – the most important wheel loader within the Caterpillar product line – to Barrick’s Lumwana copper mine. It acknowledged: “This milestone displays our continued belief and partnership with one in every of Zambia’s main mining operations, and Caterpillar’s confirmed reliability and efficiency, with gear engineered to deal with essentially the most demanding functions.”
The 995 affords a bucket capability of as much as 43.6 m3 with normal raise payload of 54 t; and utilises a Cat® 3516E engine offering gross energy of 1,394 kW. It demonstrates 21% greater effectivity and 24% extra manufacturing than the 994K in equal working mode due to the next rated payload and 6% enhance in hydraulic pressure. In Enhanced Eco Mode, the 995 demonstrates as much as a 30% enhance in effectivity and an 11% discount in hourly gas consumption versus the 994K in throttle lock mode, which interprets to 23% much less CO2 per unit of fabric moved. It additionally affords a extra snug operator surroundings and is infused with new know-how options that permit extra good points in effectivity.
Lumwana is urgent forward with the Tremendous Pit Growth Mission – it will see the mine up manufacturing from the present 140,000 t/y to 240,000 t/y of copper from 2028, with a lifetime of mine of over 30 years. The enlargement includes first doubling throughput by twinning the present course of circuit after which by considerably growing mining volumes. A significant a part of that is new extremely class fleet funding to drive greater manufacturing; enhance efficiencies and decrease unit prices.
The method enlargement is supported by a ramp up of complete mining volumes, that are deliberate to extend incrementally year-on-year, to roughly 240 Mt in 2028 after which to a mean fee of 290 Mt each year from 2030 onwards. Commissioning of the brand new course of plant is deliberate to start out within the second half of 2027. As soon as the brand new course of circuit is commissioned, the present circuit will bear a sequence of deliberate shutdowns, permitting Barrick to put in upgrades, whereas guaranteeing uninterrupted copper supply all through the enlargement.
Throughout Q2 2026, the second raise of the mill partitions and curler slab was accomplished, main crusher civil works superior, and civil building commenced on the overland conveyor switch towers. Most main long-lead gear is now on website, together with the mill shells and trunnions, main crusher, and tailings thickener.
A fleet of latest Komatsu 930E-5 vehicles together with Hitachi EH5000 vehicles now make up the fleet teamed with Komatsu PC8000 and PC7000 shovels, with Barrick stating that it has optimised the fleet for the ramp-up based mostly on previous expertise. A phased transition to cable electric-powered shovels is ready to be full in 2031; whereas in-pit crushing and conveying has been constructed into the mine design to scale back truck necessities.
